# System prompt

> A system prompt is the standing instructions an AI chatbot follows in every conversation: who it works for, how it speaks and what it must never do.

Canonical: https://heykiko.io/glossary/system-prompt
Last updated: 2026-11-05

## What it means

Also called instructions, persona.

It shapes tone and behaviour, but it isn't a guarantee: anything that must never happen, such as booking a time the customer didn't choose, belongs in code, not only in the prompt.

## In HeyKiko

In HeyKiko it's the agent's instructions and persona in Settings › AI, which you can write or generate from your website.

## Related

- [Hallucination](https://heykiko.io/glossary/hallucination)
- [AI agent](https://heykiko.io/glossary/ai-agent)
- [Test and tune your agent](https://heykiko.io/features/test-your-agent)
- [Full glossary](https://heykiko.io/glossary)